Chongyan Chen Portfolio

DICHOTOMIC MONISM

CHONGYAN TONY CHEN

SELECTED DESIGN WORKS | 2019-2024

SKILLS

Digital Model

Rhino / Grasshopper / Sketchup AutoCAD / Revit / ZBrush

Render

Lumion / V-ray / Enscape Visualization

Photoshop / Illustrator

InDesign / Acrobat

Office

Word / Excel / PowerPoint

AI Design

Midjourney / Stable Diffusion

Ostagram / Stylegan Fabrication

Lasercut / 3d Print / CNC

Welding / Concrete Pouring Woodwork / Metalwork

Language

English - fluent Chinese ⒝ native

Japanese / German - Beginner

Other Skills

Pencil Sketch / Watercolor

Piano / Volleyball

HONORS

UPenn Pressing Matters 13

 Featured Student Work 2023

UPenn MArch Year End Show

 Archived Physical Model 2023

Schenk Woodman Design Competition

 2nd Prize 2022

UIA-CBC Design & Construction Competition

 2nd Prize 2019

WUPENiCITY International Competition

 Nomination 2020

BFU Garden Design Festival

 Honorable Mention 2019

Beijing International Design Week

 Exhibited Physical Model 2019

Extracurricular Activities

Penn Intramural Volleyball League

 Champion 2023

School Volleyball Team

 Team Captain 2020

BFU MAX Design Research Association

 President 2019

Lecture LouisKahn:ArchitectureandOrder

 Host & Lecturer 2019

CHONGYAN TONY CHEN

chenchongyan0330@gmail.com +1 (267)-918-1771

3406 Race St, Philadelphia, PA https://issuu.com/chenchongyan0330/docs/portfolio_issuu_20240204

EDUCATION

University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia,PA

Master of Architecture

Expected Graduate: 05/2024

GPA: 3.67/4

 Architecture Design / Architecture History & Theory / Installation Design / Construction / Structure

Architectural Association London,UK 01/2024-04/2024

Exchange Program, Diploma Degree

 Architecture Design Studio / Vehicle Design & Fabrication / Film Making

Beijing Forestry University Beijing,China 09/2016-07/2021

Bachelor of Engineering, Major in Landscape Architecture

 Landscape Design / Landscape Construction / Planting Design

Minor in Civil Engineering

 Calculus / Theoretical Mechanics / Constructional Graphing

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

88.21/100

HDR (Henningson, Durham & Richardson, PC) NewYorkOffice 05/2023-08/2023

Summer Intern ⒝ Architectural Designer

Concept and Detailed design of Metro North Railway stations

 Site Plan and Section drawings with AutoCAD

 Rendering with Enscape

Concept design of Baltimore & Washington International Airport Terminal Extensions

 Digital models with Rhino

 Rendering with Enscape

Concept design of Observatory Tower in South Dakota

 Digital models with Rhino

 Coding with Grasshopper

Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute Chengdu,China 07/2020-08/2020

Summer Intern - Landscape Designer

Concept design of Bali Park on the Sancha Lake Dam

 Rendering with Lumion

Yongkang Road Renewal in Chongzhou

 Early Phase Site Analysis

 Research Presentation Slides

Zhongdianke Industrial Base Renewal

 Bidding Documents Editing

Urbanseal Planning and Design Company Beijing,China 05/2020

Project Intern ⒝ Landscape Designer

Concept Design and Detailed design of Mudanyuan Community Green Space Redesign

 Site Plan and Section drawings

 Rendering with Lumion

 Detailed drawings of paving and pavilions.

Beijing Dongshengyuan Landscape Design

 Perspective Rendering with Lumion

UIA-CBC International Design and Construction Competition Jiangsu,China 08/2019

Leader of Team Beijing Forestry University & Chiba University

Concept Design, Detailed Design & Construction of the Recycling Station in the Pear Orchard

 Concept design analysis & drawings

 Constructional drawings & documents

 On-site works, including construction schedule, negotiation with contractors, and budget control, etc.

As a philosophical thought, Dichotomic Monism emerges as a profound belief, steeped in the ancient wisdom of Taoism from the East, wherein lies a profound understanding of the cosmos. Here, the universe unveils itself not as a stagnant entity, but as a fluid dance of perpetual motion, ever oscillating in a delicate balance.

Much akin to the majestic peaks of mountains and the humble beginnings encapsulated within a seed, every element of existence is rendered into being through the intricate interplay of opposing forces. It is within this duality that the essence of Dichotomic Monism resides, revealing the sublime harmony woven amidst the fabric of existence itself.

01 LIBERATION VS. COLONIZATION

THE OUTLAW

602 Studio Project

Time: 01/2023 - 05/2023

Team Work

Coworker: Boyu Xiao

Instructor: Kevin Cannon

Location: New York, NY

Size: 15000 sqft site / 50000 sqft

The existing Beaux-Arts style museum architecture was characterized by a highly enclosed structure and crowded interior spaces. It appeared disconnected from the cultural background and folk society of New York, making it challenging for urban residents to establish a meaningful connection with the museum's interior. We consider this a manifestation of colonization, which inevitably creates class barriers that alienate residents who should participate in artistic and cultural activities, thus relegating artworks and their representative art history to the periphery. Our objective is to restore the agency of art and social activities to the city residents. To achieve this, we conducted a series of studies on illegal buildings from around the world, as we firmly believe that vernacular architecture, devoid of architect involvement, embodies the essential needs of the owners and reflects the demands specific to the geographical region. We consider the aforementioned characteristics of citizen demands to have the potential for further generalization and refinement, resulting in a comprehensive macro-level urban language system. In the context of New York, this "Illegal Architecture" is represented by streetery, which reveals the irresistible social needs of New Yorkers within the fastpaced and high-pressure commuter lifestyle. Therefore, by employing an intense language that conflicts with the original site, and complemented by a flexible and transformable structure, our intention is to open up this art museum and establish visual and multisensory connections with pedestrians, thereby transforming the existing architectural and cultural allusions of gentrification in New York.

Structure of the Theater Hall

Section Details

Ground floor plan

Section across 76th st

Section along 76th st

01 PRIVACY VS. PUBLICITY

ADAPTIVE REUSE OF CORBIN BUILDING

601 Studio Project

Time: 09/2022 - 12/2022

Team Research / Individual Design Work

Instructor: Hina Jamelle

Location: Manhattan, NY

Size: 25000 sqft site / 65000 sqft

Manhattan, like all other long-established cities, urgently needs acupuncturelike micro-renewal to coordinate the irreconcilable contradiction between contemporary living needs and historical context. Urban housing is seeking more advanced organizational logic, and urban residents also need more communication opportunities. The process of urban renewal is by no means accomplished overnight. From the experimental iterations, we can extract cases with excellent feasibility and economy, which can be used to feed back the construction of affordable housing and effectively alleviate social problems.

Corbin building is a fine sample of historic architecture of New York City. The basic strategy of this experiment is to divide the Corbin building into four towers and then implant different Interrelationships respectively to organize residential units of different sizes. The four samples form a control group comparing with each other to explore their private and public performance and potential in the vertical direction. The lower floor levels have more public spaces, inviting non-resident citizens to flow into the green spaces inserted into the building connecting the park on the rooftop of Fulton center. The existence of green public space can effectively reduce the anxiety of urban residents, making it easier for citizens in this relaxing environment to open their hearts. Temporary outdoor public are introduced as a regular activity to provide topics of communication for strangers who are not familiar with each other.

Corbin building

building from Dey st.

03 Dark VS. Light

Oculus Metropolis

701 Studio Project

Time: 09/2023 - 12/2023

Team Work

Coworker: Cong Liu

Instructor: Karel Klein

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Size: 20000 sqft

Every building is a camera, and every beam of light that enters its windows brings with it the tapestry of images from the world outside. When focused, this light discloses the urban narrative as a picture. This phenomenon finds resonance in Leonardo da Vinci's belief that all things possess an aesthetic capacity that allows them to generate images of themselves. The walls, floors, and ceilings of our buildings are imprinted with these images, installing the city's essence within their structure. We move within these spaces, unaware of the occluded visual symphony surrounding us, yet it is there, a secret gallery of the city's soul.

The architectural journey unfolds across four chapters. Through an oculus study, we delved into how Artificial Intelligence interprets images distinct from human perspectives, AI translates similar geometry into uncanny features. Wanderings in DTLA provided raw material fed into AI, yielding textures and apertures reminiscent of the city. Our narrative converges in a cinematic experience, where the building becomes a storyteller, connecting visitors to the pulsating heart of DTLA through touch, perception, and a transformative journey.

"Throughanoculusstudy,wedelvedintohowArtificialIntelligence interpretsimagesdistinctfromhumanperspectives,AItranslatessimilar geometryintouncannyfeatures.WanderingsinDTLAprovidedrawmaterial fedintoAI,yieldingtexturesandaperturesreminiscentofthecity."

Facade Detail

2. Facade Detail

Northeast Elevation

Northwest Elevation 5. Long Section 6. Ground Floor Plan 7. Second Floor Plan

CHAPTER I deprivation of sense

CHAPTER III penetratiton of oculus

2023: A Metropolitan

In the initial shroud of darkness, the city became an endless void, depriving its denizens of vision. Streets and structures auditory senses gradually reclaimed their dominion, culminating in the revival of sight. Astonishingly, the city revealed through darkness bestowed upon the inhabitants not only a perception of the city's external

CHAPTER II space of obscurity

CHAPTER IV reconciliation of cityscape

Metropolitan Odyssey

structures blurred into the unknown, and residents navigated through reliance on touch. Across three phases, tactile and revealed itself not merely as a silhouette in the night, but as a vibrant ecosystem teeming with vitality. This odyssey grandeur but also an apprehension of profound beauty concealed within its intricate depths.

Physical Display Model

Lasercut MDF, 3d Printed PLA, Acrylic Spray Painted

04 CULTURE VS. FUTURE

PORCHWORKS - A Community Machine for Callowhill

Schenk-Woodman Competition

Time: 01/12/2022 - 01/19/2022

Team Work

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Size: 40000 sqft

PorchWorks is a speculative project in two senses: it imagines a future for the Callowhill neighborhood, and it is a tool for development. But it also critiques the typical strategies of both. In imagining a future for the neighborhood, we look to Callowhill’s social and material past, with a particular focus on food as a vehicle of culture and the machine as a metonym for industrial production. As a speculative instrument for neighborhood development, PorchWorks is the first phase of a larger plan that centers not just on the streets but on small-scale parking lots and the abandoned Viaduct as the most promising spatial resources in the area. It acts as a front porch in two ways, as an entrance for a future addition to the Rail Park and a place for cultural and community exchange. In its operation, PorchWorks combines production, consumption, waste processing, and recreation: it is an argument for and investment in a circular logic of design. A community-run restaurant uses produce grown in the garden atop the Viaduct to offer culturally diverse foods, and a fermenting machine processes organic waste from the restaurant into liquid fertilizer and compost that then feeds the plants in the garden. PorchWorks serves multiple publics: patrons eating at the restaurant, people enjoying public space, children playing, and residents looking for ways to develop the neighborhood without razing existing buildings. Each component combines art and recreation so that the proposal’s spectacle comes from its design, operation, and communal enjoyment. As such, PorchWorks is a neighborhood machine for food, waste, art, and recreation, all essential elements in Callowhill’s identity and the well-being of its residents.

Streetery Section 1-1

05 FORM VS. FUNCTION

RECYCLING STATION IN THE PEAR ORCHARD - An architecture to reawake environmental awareness in rural area

2019 UIA-CBC International College Constrction Competitive Workshop Project

Time: 03/2019 - 08/2019

Team Work

Coworker: Yuxiang Dong, Hanlin Zhang, Yuehan Liu, Xinge Zhang, Yuta Koriki, Tenki Morimoto, Daiki Matsumoto, Siyun Rao, Fei Xu

Instructor: Xiaodong Zheng, Wei Duan, Hiroki Suzuki, Jia Ma, Bingxun Sun

Location: Jiangsu, China

Size: 400 sqft

CONSTRUCTED*

Recycling Station in the Pear orchard is based on reconstructing site feature, solving current problem and vigorating the site, which indeed caters the demands of the location. The structure is a modern interpretation of Traditional Chinese Post and Lintel frame. Local materials make up the enclosing membrane, which is regarded as an important method of cultural display as well as construction technique inheritance. The scheme of the recycling station introduced new waste classification and treatment methods, odor removal wind pressure system and other technologies to meet the design requirements.

In order to adapt to the village environment, we propose to build a traditional Chinese beam lifting building with wood and pear branches as the main materials.

The overall form is based on the ancient roof, and combined with the problem that the garbage station will emit peculiar smell, the roof will be transformed into an open vent, which is also an important manifestation of its exhibition. As an important display window, the maintenance structure of pear branch weaving not only makes reasonable use of local materials, but also has an important function of cultural display.

Wind Guide Board

Wood Shingle Rooftop

Steel Structure

Brick Foundation

06 Professional Work

FLOW - Concrete Design & Manufacture Course Project

RITTENHOUSE OFFICE BUILDING - Construction Course Project

THANK YOU.